Mechanical serial sectioning is a highly repetitive technique employed in materials science (e.g., metallography) for rendering three-dimensional reconstructions of microstructure. While alternate techniques such as ultrasonic detection and micro-computed tomography have progressed much in recent years, few alternatives provide equivalent opportunities for comparatively high resolutions over significantly-sized cross-sectional areas and volumes. To that end, the introduction of automated serial sectioning systems has greatly heightened repeatability and increased data collection rates, while diminishing opportunity for mishandling and other user-introduced errors. Unfortunately, even among current, state-of-the-art automated serial sectioning systems, challenges in data collection have not been fully eradicated. Accordingly, there is a need for additional modalities that allow for real-time, accurate monitoring during such serial sectioning analysis.